Editing Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (section)

====Spring offensives====
[[File:Haig Joffre and French at the Front Gws joffrefrhaig 01.png|thumb|French, Joffre and Haig (left to right) visit the front line during 1915. Henry Wilson is second from the right.]]
Like French, Haig wanted to push along the North Sea Coast to Ostend and [[Zeebrugge]] but Joffre did not want the British acting so independently.<ref>Groot 1988, p. 175.</ref> Germany had recently sent eight infantry divisions to the Eastern Front, so French and Joffre agreed that a French offensive in Artois and Champagne, should be accompanied by a British offensive at [[Neuve-Chapelle]] to be conducted by Haig. At Neuve Chapelle, Haig wanted a quick bombardment and his subordinate [[Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson|Henry Rawlinson]] a longer and more methodical one. Shortage of shells meant that only a thirty-five-minute bombardment was possible but the small front of the attack gave it the concentration to succeed.<ref name="auto">Groot 1988, pp. 178–180.</ref>

Haig was greatly interested in the potential of aircraft and met [[Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard|Major Trenchard]] of the [[Royal Flying Corps]] to organise photographic air reconnaissance and a map of German lines was obtained; aircraft were also used for artillery spotting.<ref>Neillands 2006, p. 55.</ref> Four divisions attacked at the [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle]] on 10 March and penetrated {{convert|1500|m|yd|order=flip}} but no progress was made on subsequent days, as the Germans brought in reinforcements. Casualties were around 12,000 on each side.<ref name="auto"/> Rawlinson had wanted to end the offensive after the first day and Haig felt that reserves should have been committed quicker. On Rawlinson's suggestion Haig came close to sacking Major-General Joey Davies until it was found that Davies had followed Rawlinson's orders; Haig reprimanded Rawlinson but thought him too valuable to sack. This may have made Rawlinson reluctant to stand up to Haig thereafter.<ref>Groot 1988, p. 181.</ref>

Whilst the Germans attacked Smith-Dorrien at the Second Battle of Ypres (April), new Allied offensives were planned by the French at Vimy and by Haig at Aubers Ridge (9 May). It was believed on the British side that the lessons of Neuve Chapelle had been learned – reserves were ready to exploit and mortars were ready to support attackers who had advanced beyond artillery cover – and that this time success would be complete not partial. The attack was less successful than Neuve Chapelle as the bombardment was over a wider front and against stronger defences; Haig was still focussed on winning a decisive victory by capturing key ground, rather than amassing firepower to inflict maximum damage.<ref>Neillands 2006, p. 132.</ref><ref>Groot 1988, p. 188.</ref> Attacks (at Festubert, 15–25 May) as a diversion, gained {{convert|1000|m|yd|order=flip}} over a front of {{convert|4000|m|yd|order=flip}}, with 16,000 British casualties to around 6,600 German losses.<ref>Neillands 2006, p. 152.</ref> Sir John French was satisfied that the attacks had taken pressure off the French at their request but Haig felt that German reserves were being exhausted, bringing victory nearer.<ref>Groot 1988, p. 189.</ref>

[[Shell Crisis of 1915|Lack of shells at these offensives]] was, along with [[John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|Admiral Fisher]]'s resignation over the failed [[Dardanelles Campaign]], a cause of the fall of the Liberal Government (19 May). Haig did not approve of the [[Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Baron Northcliffe|Northcliffe]] press attacks on Kitchener, whom he thought a powerful military voice against the folly of civilians like Churchill (despite the fact that Kitchener was an opponent of the strong General Staff which Haig wanted to see). French had been leaking information about the shell shortage to [[Charles à Court Repington]] of ''The Times'', whom Haig detested and which he likened to "carrying on with a whore". French also communicated with Conservative leaders and to [[David Lloyd George]] who became Minister of Munitions in the new coalition government.<ref>Groot 1988, p. 193.</ref>

Haig was asked by Clive Wigram (one of the King's press staff) to smooth relations between French and Kitchener. At Robertson's suggestion, Haig received Kitchener at his HQ (despite French's attempt to block the meeting), where they shared their concerns about French. The two men met again in London (14 July), whilst Haig was receiving his GCB (awarded on French's recommendation after Neuve Chapelle) from the King,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29202|page=6111|date=22 June 1915|supp=y}}</ref> who also complained to him about French. Over lunch with the King and Kitchener, Haig remarked that the best time to sack French would have been after the retreat to the Marne; it was agreed that the men would correspond in confidence.<ref>Groot 1988, pp. 196–197.</ref>

Haig had long thought French petty, jealous, unbalanced, overly quick to meddle in party politics and easily manipulated by Henry Wilson.<ref>Groot 1988, p. 216.</ref> Haig was increasingly irritated by French's changes of orders and mercurial changes of mood as to the length of the war, which French now expected to last into 1916.<ref>Groot 1988, pp. 191, 195.</ref> Haig still thought Germany might collapse by November, although at the same time he was sending a memo to the War Office recommending that the BEF, now numbering 25 divisions, be equipped with the maximum number of heavy guns, ready for a huge decisive battle, 36 divisions strong in 1916.<ref>Groot 1988, p. 202.</ref>